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One World with Zain Asher

New Attacks Between U.S. & Iran Complicate Talks to End the War; Israel Issues Evacuation Orders for 7 Villages in Southern Lebanon; Israeli PM Orders Strike on Beirut Southern Suburb; Rob Sand Will Face Republican Primary Winner for Iowa Governor; Rescuers Discover Vertical Shaft in Search for Missing Men; Amy Sherald Exhibition Makes Final Stop in Atlanta. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 01, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, the U.S. and Iran exchange fresh attacks overnight. "One World" starts right now. It comes as Iranian

state TV now says the country is suspending fragile peace talks. A race against time in Laos, where crews are still trying to reach two trapped men

in a flooded cave network.

And exploring American sublime will take you inside a new art exhibit that shines a light on the iconic works of one of America's foremost female

artists. All right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". Iranian state media reports that Iran is

suspending peace talks with the United States because of Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Earlier, the foreign ministry blamed the slow pace of negotiations on those attacks, while also criticizing Washington's mixed messages and a lack of

trust, as well. No response yet from the White House. But early this morning, President Trump announced that Tehran really wants to make a deal,

while urging critics to quote sit back and just relax.

Just hours before that, the U.S. carried out what it called self-defense strikes in Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it is it responded by

targeting the American air base used to launch the attack. Kuwait, meantime, says it propelled, repelled rather hostile drone and missile

attacks.

The U.S. military called Iran's actions egregious, a ceasefire violation. CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live now from London. So, a lot of headwinds

in terms of this sort of sort of pending ceasefire negotiations. One of the key pieces of news we got just moments ago, Nic, was this idea that Iran is

saying that there will be no more peace talks until Israeli sort of suspends -- Israel suspends its strikes in Lebanon.

This puts President Trump in an interesting position, just in terms of whether or not he will call Netanyahu and get Netanyahu to hold back and

de-escalate those strikes in Lebanon. Just walk us through where things stand now.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, what the Iranian state media is reporting is that the government position is now to suspend

those talks with the United States over the 14 point or believe to be 14 point memorandum of understanding, which involves opening the Strait of

Hormuz and those tough nuclear issues as well, because they say a precondition of the ceasefire has been broken.

And that precondition was a ceasefire between the Israeli government and the Lebanese government, ostensibly that Hezbollah would cease their

operations against Israel. Israel would cease their operations against Hezbollah, of course Hezbollah was never part of that deal.

And that ceasefire has broken down demonstrably, so, more significantly over this past weekend, and Prime Minister Netanyahu calling for strikes in

the Beirut suburb of Dahieh, which is believed to be a Hezbollah stronghold. And it's at this moment that Iran has called and said that was

a precondition.

And now we're going to freeze the talks because you are breaking that precondition. And of course, that ceasefire got put in place through a lot

of pressure by President Trump on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull Israeli troops out of Lebanon, which is what Iran is demanding happens now.

So, it will take, it would appear again similar pressure from President Trump, just when it appears he's down to sort of the last words and

sentences to be agreed about that 14-point memorandum of understanding. And the breakdowns in ceasefire that we've seen overnight over the past week or

so really sort of indicate that both sides are poised to military action, and the potential for talks not to move really opens the door for military

action to potentially escalate.

Both sides have stayed away from that. A source familiar with the talks I spoke to earlier today described there as being, you know, some, you know,

difficulties, if you will, going on in the talks, not significant difficulties, if you will, but not plain sailing, and perhaps that's what

we're witnessing at the moment over this particular issue, and it's not going to be easy to resolve.

[11:05:00]

It took a lot of pressure from President Trump last night, and it's really not clear what happens next, and how far things could break down or get put

back together quickly.

ASHER: Nic Robertson, live for us there. Thank you so much. Be sure to stay with "One World". For more on this story, coming up later, we'll hear the

White House perspective as well.

And there are no signs of fighting Lebanon. It's going to be stopping anytime soon, as Israel dramatically expands its ground operations in the

southern part of the country as Nic was just saying, there the IDF has ordered seven more towns in the area to evacuate as it intensifies attacks

blaming Hezbollah for ceasefire violations.

It comes ahead of strikes on a Beirut suburb ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and as Israeli forces push past the Litani River,

marking their deepest incursion into Lebanon in 25 years. Meantime, thousands of civilians are fleeing the area, and for so many, it's not the

first time.

Bilal Saab is a Middle East Expert. Bilal, good to see you. Good to have you back on the program. So, just in terms of what Iran is asking for here,

they're saying there's going to be no more peace talks until Israel dramatically de-escalates its actions in Lebanon. Explain to us what Iran's

strategy is here?

Does this sort of signal a much more hardline strategy by Iran, or is this primarily a negotiation bargaining tactic?

BILAL Y. SAAB, SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TRENDS U.S.: Yeah, Zain, I think it's the latter. I don't think there's anything principled or inflexible or

moral, frankly, about Iran's position here. I think they've always seen Hezbollah as a bargaining chip, and the very definition of a bargaining

chip is that you're willing to let it go for the right price.

It's just that they feel like they haven't gotten to the right price, and so they're using that to negotiate over the other issues that your

correspondent talked about on those 14 points in the MOU, obviously, which I feel like they view as far more important priorities than the very issue

of Hezbollah, so the nuclear stuff, the Strait of Hormuz, the frozen assets, and so on and so forth.

ASHER: And just in terms of Israel's calculation here. I mean, obviously, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, you're seeing Israel make its deepest

incursion into Lebanon in 25 years. They're stepping up their strikes on Hezbollah at a time when the U.S. is trying to pause, despite obviously

what we saw over the weekend.

But overall Trump and the United States is really trying to push for some kind of deal. From Israel's perspective, what exactly remains unfinished,

just in terms of the military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon?

SAAB: I love the question. So, I think there's not a whole lot of strategy going on in Israel. Frankly, a lot of this is just being driven by

political considerations of the Israeli Prime Minister. And even the political opposition itself actually is just not thinking outside the box,

not thinking about what I would suppose is the number one priority, which is providing security and safety to the northern communities in Israel.

So, occupying more Lebanese lands is not going to provide any further security for the Israel's north. And so, if you know if politics is driving

strategy, I think Israel has been there before. We've seen this movie several times in the past, over 15 years, and so somebody is going to have

to step up in Israel, think a bit more strategically, think a bit longer term, and probably learn a thing or two from a history that offers a number

of good lessons, frankly.

ASHER: President Trump now does have to make, as I'm saying to Nic Robertson, he does have to make an important decision at this point in

time. You've got Iran saying we're not going to have any more peace talks with you unless you sort of get Israel to hold back in Lebanon.

How does President Trump navigate that? Does he simply sort of call Netanyahu and say, look, we need to get this peace deal over the line, I

need you to hold back. Obviously, there's going to be a push back from the Israeli side. So, walk us through how you think that's going to play out.

SAAB: I think you guys have reported, and several other networks, there's been a -- I don't want to call it shift, but some kind of an adjustment in

the American position about Lebanon. I mean, before it was kind of a stronger position that was communicated to the Israelis that please

constrain your military activity in Lebanon, because in my actually torpedo, or you know, undermine, undercut the negotiations with the

Iranians.

But lately there's been a change in that position, and there's been more flexibility offered to the Israelis, and more freedom of action to go

after, you know, Hezbollah, and obviously you're seeing it, you know, right in front of you. So, I just like the Iranians don't see Hezbollah as a

number one priority.

I don't think Trump sees Lebanon as a number one priority either, frankly. And one of his posts, Zain, if you recall, at the very end of it, he said,

you know, we've made a good bit of progress with Iranians on a, you know, contours of a deal, but then there are other issues that are far less

important.

[11:10:00]

My suspicion is those issues that are far less important. Lebanon is included in one of those. So, at the end of the day, you got to -- we got

to recognize that Israel is a sovereign nation that feels it is being under threat by Hezbollah, especially yesterday, just Sunday, a number of rockets

and drones being fired by Hezbollah.

So, it's not like Hezbollah is doing any favors to, you know, the peace talks or really restraining itself either. So, look, there's going to be a

limit to how much President Trump really imposes his preferences on the Israeli Prime Minister, who himself has some pretty serious political

considerations, as I told you before.

ASHER: Yeah, absolutely, you bring up an important point about a Lebanon not being a massive priority for Trump, and also this idea of just allowing

for a bit more flexibility in terms of Israel's actions. However, that doesn't change the fact that Trump is in a difficult position if Iran is

now saying that it is not even going to engage in any peace talks whatsoever until there's movement on that front.

SAAB: Yeah, but once again, I don't think they are really linking the Lebanon issue, just for Lebanon's sake, frankly, or not even for

Hezbollah's sake. They're just looking at the Hezbollah issue and the Lebanon issue, frankly, as a bargaining chip to advance on the other more

important stuff like I said.

So, the number one priority will always be the nuclear stuff for President Trump. The urgent priority for the Iranians right now is the Strait of

Hormuz. So, they're using Lebanon, frankly, to see how much traction they can gain on these far more important issues right now.

I just don't buy the fact that President Trump really is in a very tough bind on when it comes to Lebanon, obviously. I think the far more

challenging issue that he's going to have to navigate is the blockade, how he can actually implement it as quickly as possible, and not partly enforce

the blockade.

And so, this is where the Iranians are focusing on, and they're looking at Lebanon, Hezbollah to try to make concessions, cause the Trump

Administration to make concessions on the blockade more than anything else, frankly.

ASHER: So, what does a real, I mean, assuming that these minor hurdles, well, not minor, major hurdles are actually overcome. What does a realistic

deal between the United States and Iran actually look like? I mean, you've got so many different elements. Trump has political calculations because he

doesn't want it to be in any way, shape, or form a replica of JCPOA.

So, he has to make calculations about the nuclear side of things, he has to make calculations about sanctions relief and economic relief for Iran, and

that is one key area where both sides differ in terms of what they're willing to settle for. So, what does something realistic look like between

both sides, Bilal?

SAAB: Yeah, look, I mean, on the one hand, it's really frustrating that we're still in this thing, and you're seeing military exchanges not only

between the Americans and the Iranians, but of course far more large-scale operations taking place in Lebanon. So, it's really frustrating not to see

this, you know, moving forward.

But at the same time, and frankly, I'm not that shocked, because President Trump, rightly or wrongly, I mean, just, you can side one way or another,

wants to be perceived as actually getting some serious concessions from the Iranians, and optically be perceived as someone who actually is winning

this thing.

And so, he wants a serious commitment from the Iranians, at least on the nuclear stuff, even though the next 60 days, whenever that happens, right,

and they do sign this MOU. They're going to discuss it and discuss details, but before getting into the negotiations, President Trump wants Iran to

provide him with a significant win, because it's very important for the president, optically speaking.

Everything else, the contours of the deal, I mean, they're right there. It's just a matter now of implementation more than anything else. And Iran

is negotiating, I hate to say it, from a position of strength, at least that's how they see themselves, from an advantageous position.

And so, their desire, frankly, to give those concessions to President Trump is just, it's quite small, and so I don't know what's going to force them

to change their mind to be a little bit more flexible with their negotiations. There's always the chance for more use of force.

There's always a chance of greater sanctions, but I mean, we've been there before, we've tried a lot of this stuff before, it just hasn't worked. So,

everybody has their political considerations, Zain, right? Everybody is obviously quite nervous, careful about how they're being perceived

politically, but the very contours of the deal are right there.

Structurally speaking I think we have all the elements. Now it's just like any other high-stakes negotiations, details matter, politics matter even

more unfortunately.

ASHER: Yeah, that is an important point.

[11:15:00]

Bilal Saab, always good to see you. Thank you so much.

SAAB: -- yeah.

ASHER: Right, it is primary day, primary election day, rather, again on Tuesday, and voters in half a dozen American states are set to go to the

polls. Some of these races could change the national political landscape ahead of the midterm elections in November. Primaries will be held in six

states from coast to coast.

Races in California and Iowa are among those getting the most attention. In California, voters will decide who will be on the November ballot to

replace Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. There are more than 60 candidates running for his job. California has a jungle primary, which means the top

two finishers, regardless of party, will go on to the general election.

The crowded field could split the vote and put two Republican candidates on the November ballot. The latest polling shows a very close race at the very

top, with Democrat Xavier Becerra, Republican Steve Hilton, and Democrat Tom Steyer leading the field. In Iowa, Democrats are eyeing the races for

governor and the senate as well.

Many farmers in the state are struggling, hit by Trump's tariffs, and now soaring fertilizer costs caused by the war with Iran. And three house races

and one senate race could help decide control of each chamber of Congress in November. Democrat Zach Wahls, who is in the primary battle for the

senate seat, says the Iowans have had enough of Trump's policies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH WAHLS, DEMOCRATIC IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE: Donald Trump's approval rating in our state is collapsing because his policies, that Ashley Hinson

has been a rubber stamp for, have been doing just devastating damage to our state's economy, whether that's the tariffs, the cuts to Medicaid, or so

much more.

Of course, now this war with Iran. Iowans here are fed up, they're ready for a new direction. That is a message that is resonating with people as we

travel all over the state. Because Iowans trust that I'm not running to work for Chuck Schumer or Donald Trump, I'm running through what I think is

right for Iowans. That's what Iowans are looking for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: In the Republican primary for governor, President Trump endorsed Congressman Randy Feenstra. The winner will face Democratic State Auditor

Rob Sand. CNN's Patrick Svitek joins us live now from Washington, D.C. So, I mean, obviously a lot of attention, as always, is of course on Iowa,

especially this time around with the senate race there, because Joni Ernst, she's not up for -- she decided not to run for re-election, and so you've

got candidates on both sides of the aisle trying to take that seat. Walk us through it, Patrick.

PATRICK SVITEK, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Democrats are feeling cautiously optimistic about Iowa this election cycle. It's a state that's gotten

redder in recent years. Donald Trump carried it three times, but as you pointed out, the Trump trade war and these tariff issues have really put

Iowa farmers in a bind, and for Democrats in that state, they believe it's created a political opening for them.

So now Democrats are trying to flip the U.S. Senate seat, they're trying to flip the governor's office, and they're also targeting three out of four

House seats in the state. And so they really see an opening here this cycle, especially in those statewide races.

ASHER: Right, Patrick Svitek. Thank you so much, appreciate it.

SVITEK: Thank you.

ASHER: All right, Colombia's presidential race is headed for a high stake's runoff later on this month, this after conservative outsider Abelardo de la

Espriella took nearly 44 percent of the vote on Sunday, but fell short of an absolute majority. He faces a leftist government-backed candidate,

Senator Ivan Cepeda, a third candidate caught nearly 7 percent of the vote.

Colombia's constitution bars current President Left-Wing, Gustavo Petro, from seeking re-election. Right, still to come here on "One World", divers

report hearing noises inside the underground caves in Laos, where two men are still missing. We'll tell you what they found and what those sounds

could be.

Plus, the latest on efforts to contain the spread of Ebola. Our Clarissa Ward goes inside a treatment clinic to see what patients and healthcare

workers are facing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[11:20:00]

ASHER: The search continues for two men believed to be trapped inside a flooded cave network in Laos. Specialist divers repelled down a newly

discovered vertical shaft, where they hoped to find a faster route for the two men, but that route turned out to be blocked by debris.

All of this comes days after one survivor was rescued, and four others crawled to freedom. The men were digging for gold in the caves when flash

flooding trapped them more than 10 days ago. Let's go to Mike Valerio, standing by for us in Beijing. So, Mike, just in terms of what we know, I

mean, we got news that there might have been possible knocking sounds, and turned out to be some confusion on that front.

What more do we know, just in terms of the two men who are still trapped inside?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a roller coaster, Zain. It was an absolute roller coaster today. So, the cave rescuers went down several 100

meters, and they knocked on the cave walls sequentially, and they hoped to hear some sort of sequential knock back in that pattern, and they heard

something.

They told CNN, quote, there were definitive knocking sounds in response to the signals, but then about two hours ago we had a different member of the

cave rescue team talk to our Becky Anderson, and he clarified the situation. Let's listen to what he said. We'll talk more on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH RICHARDS, DIVER ON RESCUE OPERATION: There has been a lot of reporting suggesting that we heard knocking back. That is absolutely not true. I had

my ear to that hole as best I could, listening, and there was definitely something unusual that I couldn't identify. Now, that could have been bats

that could have been the wind coming in, and a lot of these caves have fishes through them as well.

There were very unusual sounds coming down from below. They didn't necessarily sound rhythmic, they didn't sound like they were echoes or

anything like that. But there has been a lot of reporting saying, oh, we heard knocking. That is absolutely not the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: So, definitely a lot of conflicting information from different members of the team. They were in different areas of the cave, but in terms

of what to do now, that vertical cave section that you were talking about, they first explored today that turned out to be blocked by debris, so

they're now going to explore four different tunnel routes to get to an air pocket where those two men could potentially be.

And the conversation turned towards, well, could they possibly not even be there at all. But according to our CNN team, I mean, we had an all-star

reporting team of Will Ripley, John Meese, Bex Wright, Producer Isaac Yee from Hong Kong. They're seeing, Zain, the two sets of families waiting at

that cave entrance every single day, saying that they know that their family members went down in there, and they've been waiting for them ever

since.

So very much from the rescuers' point of view, it's not a question of if they're down there, but where exactly there they are. So, they're waiting

for more advanced cave scanning equipment from local and national authorities, because these are cave divers. Now a lot of the water has been

pumped out of there.

So, we heard from one member of the team who was saying, you know, perhaps we need to bring in another set of expertise, but this brings us to day 12

of how long those two men have been down in that cave system for. To bring this in perspective, for the rescue of the Thai soccer team, back in 2018,

they were there for 18 days.

[11:25:00]

There are air pockets that are in this cave system, so hope has not run out, but I'll tell you, following all the back and forth from different

elements of the rescue team are reporting with the government was also saying as well, in terms of their expectations was a lot going on today,

but still hope, Zain, that the two unaccounted for people can still be found.

ASHER: Yeah, especially for their family members who have been through you talk about an ordeal. God knows what they've been through the past 10 days

or so.

VALERIO: Exactly.

ASHER: Mike Valerio live for us there. Thank you so much. Right, the Head of the World Health Organization is in the Democrat Republic of Congo,

where he's meeting with the nation's leaders to discuss the Ebola outbreak there. He is also urging community responsibility and coordination to help

bring the spread under control.

While 42 people have died and 282 cases have been confirmed. There are reasons to be optimistic. Four nurses treated for the virus have recovered,

that's according to the W.H.O., as well. Moderna announced today it is developing a potential vaccine for the rare strain that has caused this

outbreak.

This is, by the way, the 17th Ebola outbreak that the DRC has faced. With the speed of the spread, there are fears it could evolve into a crisis

similar to a decade ago, when more than 11,000 people died across West Africa. CNN's Clarissa Ward asked the W.H.O. Chief if he's confident the

current outbreak can be contained.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you worried that this could spread to the level that we saw in 2014?

DR. TEDROS GHEBREYSUS, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: It depends on how we respond. If we move fast, and we're asking the

international community to move fast in terms of funding and others, we can stop it, and the government can stop it. Communities can stop it. So, it

depends if we don't take it seriously, of course, it can outsmart us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: While in the DRC, CNN's Clarissa Ward went inside an Ebola clinic. She reports on the measure's healthcare workers must take to treat patients

with the virus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: We are now getting ready to go into the so-called red zone of this hospital, that is the area where all suspected Ebola patients are put. And

there is a lot of protective gear, unsurprisingly, that one needs to wear to go inside. One of the things that makes this so challenging for these

health care workers is that it becomes unbearably hot to wear these for, honestly, even just 10 or 15 minutes.

It's actually quite hard to breathe normally in these things -- another pair of gloves.

WARD (voice-over): He tells me to pull the gloves over the sleeves of the suit.

WARD: Ebola is not actually airborne, it's contracted through fluids, but still healthcare workers have to take absolutely every precaution before

they can treat the patients, because, of course, to treat the patients, they need to touch them.

WARD (voice-over): The doctors write our names on our backs, so they can recognize us. And then it's time to go in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Rescuers estimate more than 45 people have died, and at least 70 others are injured in Northeastern Myanmar after a massive blast on Sunday

in a building that reportedly stored explosives for mining. Rescuers say about 100 homes near the explosion were also damaged.

Local authorities are providing medical care and resettlement assistance. The region near the Chinese border is controlled by an ethnic armed group,

part of a larger rebel organization fighting for years against a military government takeover. All right, still to come here. Iranian media reports

that Iran is suspending talks with the U.S. in over Israel's ongoing attacks on Lebanon.

More on our breaking news story when we come back.

[11:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the international headlines we are watching today. France

says it has intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker sailing from a Russian port, its third known seizure in recent months.

President Emmanuel Macron says the ship was in international waters and was lawfully intercepted with the support of several partners, including the

United Kingdom. The Kremlin says the action was illegal. The Israeli military is issuing evacuation orders for more for seven more towns in

Southern Lebanon as it dramatically expands its ground operation.

The IDF says that Hezbollah is in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the area. Israeli forces have now pushed

past Litani River, marking their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than 25 years. Iranian media, meantime, is reporting that Tehran has

suspended peace talks with the U.S. in protests of Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

It comes shortly after President Trump announced that Iran wants to make a deal and urged his critics to quote, unquote, relax. The U.S. and Iran

meantime exchanged attacks over the weekend. Right, let's bring in Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak. So, obviously, Iran, at this point in

time, is taking a very sort of hardline position in terms of what it is and will -- what it is, and is not willing to put up with.

How will President Trump respond to this, this idea that Iran is not going to participate in any more peace talks until Israel pulls back in Lebanon?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, and I think we'll present the president with a choice here. Does he try and pressure Benjamin

Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, to ease up in Lebanon? In some ways, we saw earlier in this conflict, and earlier in the president's attempts to

put a ceasefire in place with Iran.

He did have success in convincing Netanyahu to pull back in that country in order to get a truce in place. Obviously, we've seen since then the entire

thing essentially collapse, but you know clearly the president does have influence on the Israeli leader. We don't get the sense yet here in

Washington that that's something that the president seems to want to do.

We heard yesterday that Marco Rubio had spoken with the Lebanese President. He had spoken with Netanyahu. He had spoken with representatives inside the

Lebanese government who may have some influence with Hezbollah. And it didn't seem as if he was making much of any progress in trying to get some

sort of resolution to that conflict.

And what American officials said is that the U.S. didn't expect Israel to just absorb these attacks from Hezbollah, and the sense was that the U.S.

was aware that that conflict could potentially escalate, and their position that truce had to remain in fact seemed to be softening somewhat.

[11:35:00]

And so, the president, I think, is still facing quite a tricky situation here, you know, the tit for tat skirmishes between the U.S. and Iran over

the last week or so had really been straining that ceasefire as well. Now CENTCOM saying this morning that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles

towards Kuwait.

It all adds up to a very tense situation. And the real fear that you hear among American officials is that the longer these negotiations go on, you

know, every time the U.S. or Iran insists on a wording change or a sentence change, it causes this three or four day back and forth between the two

sides.

The longer that process goes on, the more likely that something like the Lebanon situation or the -- back and forth in the Strait of Hormuz, the

more likely that something like that can enter these talks and upend every all the progress that has been made, and it does seem as if that's getting

closer and closer to happening now.

The talks are still ongoing, you know, the latest is that President Trump, in that meeting in the Situation room on Friday, in which he claimed he

would be making a final determination, actually asked for some changes to the draft deal to toughen up some of the language that has gone back to

Iran.

So, the progress is still there, however, sort of slowly it seems to be progressing. White House officials claim they're still optimistic that this

deal can be reached somewhat quickly, but all of the evidence seems to suggest across the region that this is only getting more and more tense,

and so how much longer those negotiations can proceed, I think, remains to be seen at this point.

ASHER: Right, Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much. Right, let's check on how U.S. markets are doing in the wake of this news. You

see, the DOW is down ever so slightly, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ up slightly too. All right, still to come here, a celebrated Georgia office returns

home in a big way.

Amy Sherald's iconic works on display. Will take you to the landmark exhibition just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: A major art exhibition is making its final stop in Atlanta, Georgia. The High Museum of Art is hosting what's billed as the largest

retrospective to date of acclaimed painter Amy Sherald. You will recall she gained international fame for her official portrait of Former First Lady

Michelle Obama.

[11:40:00]

CNN's Lynda Kinkade has a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The American Sublime exhibition at Atlanta's High Museum marks the final stop of a national tour. It's both a

homecoming and a statement, according to curator Angelica Arbelaez.

KINKADE: Atlanta was where Amy Sherald's artistic career took hold, right? What does it mean to bring the national tour back here?

ANGELICA ARBELAEZ, ASSISTANT CURATOR AT THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART: Atlanta is very proud of her. Georgia is very proud of her. She was born in Columbus,

Georgia. She studied at Clark Atlanta University in 1997. So, this is where it all began, and to have it end where it all began is really special.

KINKADE (voice-over): Amy Sherald's most famous work to date is her portrait of Former First Lady Michelle Obama.

KINKADE: Why do you think this Michelle Obama portrait resonated so powerfully across America?

ARBELAEZ: I mean, this portrait represented a moment of pride and celebration for many Americans. Mrs. Obama was the first black First Lady,

and I think for many people this was a commemoration.

KINKADE: And how did this change the conversation around political portraits?

ARBELAEZ: There's always kind of a formal nest to them, and with this portrait, Amy Sherald and Mrs. Obama had many conversations about how can

we pose -- how can the pose exhibit a sense of openness of quiet confidence?

KINKADE (voice-over): The exhibition stretches far beyond famous faces. Sherald's work centers black Americans in marginalized communities in

spaces where they have historically been overlooked, excluded, or stereotyped.

ARBELAEZ: Amy Sherald has said many times that images can change the world, and I think by that she means that who gets represented in those images,

how those images circulate has an impact.

KINKADE (voice-over): Sherald's painting of a reimagined Statue of Liberty sparked debate about identity, inclusion, and belonging in America.

ARBELAEZ: With this portrait that you see here, titled Transforming Liberty. Amy Sherald worked with another artist named Arewa Basit, who is a

trans --

KINKADE: -- Amy Sherald's way of pushing the boundaries, it meant that one stop on this tour didn't happen, right?

ARBELAEZ: That is true. Yes.

KINKADE: What made this so controversial?

ARBELAEZ: Amy is trying to say, or actually kind of call into question, is this claim of freedom actually true? Does it actually represent all people?

And if it doesn't, it should.

KINKADE (voice-over): But the curator says Sherald's paintings resist reducing people to political symbols. Instead, the work focuses on

humanity. This portrait of Breonna Taylor, commissioned by Vanity Fair, transforms a headline about a medical worker killed in her home by police

into a human presence.

Asking viewers not simply to remember Taylor's death but to recognize her life.

ARBELAEZ: Amy Sherald was very thoughtful about how to approach painting someone who was no longer with us, and that involved speaking to a lot of

friends and loved ones. You see it in this very beautiful dress that she's wearing, which was designed by Jasmine Elder, an Atlanta-based designer.

You see this in the engagement ring that Breonna is wearing on her hand, just down here, that was meant to honor the love between her and her

partner that was never able to be fully realized.

KINKADE: So, this is history re-imagined, right?

ARBELAEZ: I think with this work, Amy was thinking about this iconic moment in American photo history. The image that she is referencing is very

famous, of a sailor kissing a hominid after the announcement of the end of World War Two. And I think by recasting this iconic moment, thinking about

how black Americans were involved in war efforts, but also representations of love.

KINKADE: For many visitors here, the experience is less about biography and more about recognition, seeing everyday people elevated into portraits fit

for a museum. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Right, joining us live now is the inspiration and model behind that actual painting, American Sublime, that we saw there. Thank you so much for

joining us, Arewa Basit. So grateful to have you on, because I think a lot of our viewers hopefully know that one of the reasons why this sort of

piece made so much headlines and was at the center of this controversial debate is because the Trump Administration actually pressured the

Smithsonian to pull this because they decided it was sort of part of race- centered ideology.

And the Smithsonian essentially wanted to appease the Trump Administration, so Amy Sherald had to pull this from the Smithsonian, and you were actually

the model, the muse behind this.

[11:45:00]

And it's interesting to get to talk to you, because you were essentially at the center of this debate as to who gets to represent America, who gets to

be sort of decided, who decides who is American and who isn't. Just walk us through your thoughts on the controversy, and what has happened since then.

AREWA BASIT, "TRANS FORMING LIBERTY" MODEL: Absolutely, well, it's so fitting that today is the first day of pride month, because first of all, I

am filled with immense pride and esteemed honor to be a part of such good company like Breonna Taylor and Madam Michelle Obama, because it is just

like such a privilege and honor to be painted by one of the most prolific visual artists of our generation.

And one who really focuses on uplifting marginalized voices and representing communities that are majorly underrepresented. So yeah, I'm

really honored. It's truly, truly such a gift to be amongst this amazing company.

ASHER: When art is censored, what does that do to a society? Because so much of, you know, identity is shaped through art and culture. So much of

how we resist as a society is done through art, right? So, when art is censored in that way, how does -- what does that mean for history?

What does that mean for identity? What does that mean for culture?

BASIT: It means that history is not getting reflected as it is. You know, I have learned so much by getting to exist within community of people who

affirm my existence, and that affirmation is something that allows for more joy to be cultivated and more like sustainability and living and being and

existing.

And so, when you are able to represent your community or represent what it looks like to live out loud and live in your truth, it gives other people

and other folks permission to do the exact same. So, I feel very, very honored to help be a part of that representation through the work of Amy

Sherald.

ASHER: Yeah, I mean it's interesting because when I -- if we could just pull it up again, when I, especially as a black woman, see this, I don't

see anything controversial at all. And I see art, I see representation, but it is interesting that this image resonated so strongly with certain

people.

Certain people, actually, a lot of people, regardless of race, but provoked so much anger in others. Why do you think that is?

BASIT: I think because you can't deny the beauty, you can't deny the message, you can't deny that this is what liberty and justice for all

actually looks like, showing that you can be a part of a group of folks who are told that they shouldn't be seen, that they shouldn't have a voice,

that they shouldn't be proud, and actually be the exact representation of what opportunity and freedom can be.

I've lived in New York now for about 11 years, and to get to depict such an iconic figure, such as the Statue of Liberty, really does give myself, and

I think many people, hope that we are moving towards a more inclusive future. So, hope honestly.

ASHER: What is it like? You know, having you be the subject, and your existence, your very existence as a muse, a debate around that playing out

so publicly. I mean, it must be a quite a strange thing that you are the center. All you did was sort of pose for a portrait, that's it.

And it ignited so much controversy that played out in public, that must feel quite unsettling, I imagine.

BASIT: Unsettling in some ways, but more than anything, I feel like I am in a place in my life where I understand I'm a conduit, and I'm meant to be

more than ego, more than just about my own experience. It's about creating a world that makes everyone feel safe, everyone feels seen.

And so, I try my best to not think of it so much of a personal and an I, and think about how much this opportunity can impact the greater good, and

I think that that's also reflected in Amy's work. Amy has dedicated her craft to making work that uplifts not only communities that she belongs to,

but communities that need to feel seen need to be uplifted, ones that are not often seen.

[11:50:00]

And ones that are not often seen in their joy, in their life.

ASHER: -- right.

BASIT: Getting to be bigger and bolder and brighter than most opportunities allow us to be.

ASHER: Right, but there is a cost, as you touch on a cost of being visible.

BASIT: Absolutely.

ASHER: You know, a cost of sort of being that symbol, and even though obviously your intention was to lift up those who are marginalized, you

paid a price, you know, as did Amy, and you know, I think a lot of people were quite disappointed about the entire exhibit being pulled from the

Smithsonian because of it.

But you know, I think that the overall message was one that was certainly positive. And thank you so much, Arewa, for playing a part in that. Thank

you, Arewa --

BASIT: Yes. Thank you so much. And thank you for having me.

ASHER: Of course, be right back with more after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right, you are looking at lava flowing from craters at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano over the weekend. The United States Geological Survey says

a stronger eruption, known as lava fountaining, could happen today. The agency says there is also a chance of ash falling in nearby communities.

The volcano, which is one of the most active on earth, has been experiencing intermittent eruptions for the past year and a half. In

Northeastern China, a massive wall of dust swept across the City of Harbin, turning daytime skies almost completely dark on Sunday.

Powerful winds reached nearly 128 kilometers per hour, or 80 miles per hour, strong enough to rival a typhoon. The storm knocked out power in some

areas and even brought a roller coaster to halt mid-ride. Passengers were forced to climb down and evacuate on foot, and fans of comics and anime

gathered in Hong Kong this past weekend.

They celebrated the city's first ever comic con. CNN's Senior International Correspondent and self-proclaimed nerd Ivan Watson was there and showed us

around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my goodness, it's Colonel Sanders with pig muscles and fried chicken, just an example of the

random stuff that I'm seeing at Hong Kong's first comic con. And the crowd here is in form, and it's fun.

[11:55:00]

Where else do you get to see Rick with his portal, and I don't even know what that machine is? And over here you got root wandering around, waving

at people, and statues of Spider Man showing his hind quarters. This is a venue where people get to nerd out and celebrate nerd culture, and I love

it.

I confess that I'm a bit of a kid in a candy store right now, because I grew up reading Marvel comics, superhero comics, and I wouldn't let anybody

at middle school see my issues of "Uncanny X-Men", because I was a little bit ashamed of it, but here this kind of culture is being celebrated and

has gone fully mainstream, the whole point at these things is to be a fan, to dress up, to have people take photos of you, and to take hook photos.

Hey, Freddie, how's it going, man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's wonderful.

WATSON: How's your first comic con in Hong Kong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATSON: Digging it. All right. And that is my report as I geek out at Hong Kong's first comic con, Ivan Watson, CNN in Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Clearly had so much fun. All right, stay with CNN. I'll have much more "One World" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END